The Arabian Nights Entertainments. Volume 01. Unknown

why Amine had her bosom so mortified. Day began to appear whilst he was thinking upon these things: he arose and went to his council-chamber, where he used to give audience, and sat upon his throne.

      The grand vizier came in a little after, and paid his respects as usual. Vizier, said the caliph, the affairs we have to consider at present are not very pressing; that of the three ladies and the two black bitches is much more so. My mind cannot be at ease till I be thoroughly satisfied in all those matters that have surprised me so much. Go, bring these ladies and the calenders at the same time; make haste, and remember that I do impatiently expect your return. The vizier, who knew his master's quick and fiery temper, made haste to obey, and went to the ladies, to whom he communicated, in a civil way, the orders he had to bring them before the caliph, without taking any notice of what had passed the night before at their house. The ladies put on their veils, and went with the vizier; as he passed by his own house, he took the three calenders along with him, and they, in the mean time, had got notice that they had both seen and spoken with the caliph without knowing him. The vizier brought them to the palace with so much diligence, that the caliph was mightily pleased at it. This prince, that he might keep a good decorum before all the officers of his court who were then present, made those ladies be placed behind the hanging of the door of the room that was next his bedchamber, and kept by him the three calenders; who, by their respectful behaviour, gave sufficient proof that they were not ignorant before whom they had the honour to appear. When the ladies were placed, the caliph turned towards them, and said, When I shall acquaint you, that I came last night, disguised in a merchant's habit, into your house, it will certainly alarm you, and make you fear that you have offended me; and perhaps you believe that I have sent for you to no other end but to show some marks of my resentment: But be not afraid; you may rest assured that I have forgotten all that has passed, and am very well satisfied with your conduct. I wish that all the ladies of Bagdad had as much discretion as you have given proof of before me. I shall always remember the moderation you made use of, after the incivility we had committed. I was then a merchant of Moussol, but am at present Haroun Alraschid, the seventh caliph of the glorious house of Abbas, who holds the place of our great prophet. I have only sent for you to know who you are, and to ask for what reason one of you, after severely whipping the two black bitches, did weep with them? and I am no less curious to know why another of you has her bosom full of scars? Though the caliph pronounced these words very distinctly, so that the three ladies heard them well enough, yet the vizier Giafar did, out of ceremony, repeat them over again.